SHRM23 Review

Day One: June 11, 2023

Today was the opening day of conference number two for me! The celebration started with a musical performance capturing the progression of a retired HR professional's career, Grace.

Following Grace's story, Johnny C. Taylor Jr. announced a record number of attendees (25,000 in-person, an increase of 8,000 from last year).

And probably my favorite part of the vendor hall...PUPPIES!

Day Two: June 12, 2023

Today's general session was a conversation with Past President Bill Clinton with interviewer Betty Tompson. During this conversation, they spoke about his impact on the HR space, including FMLA and, my personal favorite, the appointment of Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the US Supreme Court.

For my first concurrent session, I attended "Performance Management for Greatness - ' Taking the SCARE Out of Performance Management," presented by Art Jackson. Art's presentation was full of laughs and significant points. My key takeaways:

• The first step to successful performance management is 'confrontational courage.' The annual review should not be when an employee hears about their performance.

• Pay increases and reviews should not be in correlation with one another. Instead, have pay increases come 3-6 months after reviews.

• After reviewing and creating an individual performance plan, there should be at least monthly check-ins.

• The ideal transformational performance review will have a good mix of subjective and objective ratings.

My next session was "Want Unlimited PTO? Things to Consider Before Implementing in Today's Workforce," presented by Maina Galatro. Being a resident of "No Vacation Nation" (Marina's words), I was intrigued to hear how we could be more creative with our paid time off. My key takeaways:

• Cost benefits: reduces admin burden and reduces balance sheet liabilities.

• Include verbiage in the policy to include other leaves such as FMLA, STD, and required sick leaves.

• Building the policy...

  • What do you call it? Unlimited PTO, flexible time off, open PTO...

  • What do you do with existing balances?

  • Do you include mandatory minimum usage? Maximum recommended time off?

  • What is your new time off request process?

My last session for the day was "Women-Splaining the Pay Gap," presented by Elizabeth Bradley and Joanna Colosimo. Honestly, the presentation title reallysucked me in. My key takeaways:

• Before you get started with a pay equity study:

  • Understand attorney-client privilege.

  • Have a budget to remedy your findings.

• Pay gap vs. pay equity:

  • Pay gap is typically a workforce distribution issue.

  • Pay equity is pay differences in similar roles.

• Review pay transparency laws.

Day Three: June 13, 2023

The day began with Ed Bastian, CEO of my FAVORITE airline (Delta), who was awarded the McGowan Ethical Leader of the Year Award.

And our third general session, "The Stranger in the Lifeboat: The Power of What You Carry Through Life & Other Important Lessons," was presented by Mitch Albom. Mitch talked about our impact in life and what impact we will leave in other people's stories even after we are gone. This message makes you want to reflect on your life and career and think about those you've impacted.

Below is a photo of myself and four other La Crosse Area SHRM members at SHRM23. From left to right: Megan Weibel, Mabel Gehrett, Lori Olson, me, and Jeannette Schreier.

When thinking of impact, I can easily say Mabel and Lori, my instructors while obtaining my associate degree in HRM, and Jeannette, my mom, have made their impact.

My first concurrent session of the day was "Belongingness: The Antidote to Workplace Imposter Syndrome," presented by Miguel Joey Aviles and Michelle Rosa. My key takeaways:

• There are types of imposter syndrome:

  • Superhero - overwork

  • Natural genius - setter of HIGH goals

  • Expert - always trying to learn

  • Perfectionist - never completely happy with their work

  • Soloist - work alone

• How to "TAME" your inner imposter syndrome:

  • Talk your way out of imposter syndrome.

  • Accentuate the positive.

  • Modulate your inner critic.

  • Establish a healthy response to failure.

Session two, "Millennials and Managing Intergenerational Conflict in the Workplace," presented by Dr. Cynthia LeMay. I will admit, this was a tough session to sit through as a millennial/gen z cusper due to the amount of dislike from other generations in the room. My key takeaways:

• Shaping moments:

  • Key events for each generation

  • Generational parenting styles

• The differences:

  • Conflict styles

  • Performance feedback

  • Preferred benefits

The last session, "Cognitive Diversity - Understanding Different Thinking Styles," was presented by Lei Comerford. This session was a full house and then some! My key takeaways:

• Understanding "The Whole Brain Thinking Model" and being more aware of your color(s) and the people around you.

Analytical Thinking (Rational Self) Logical Analytical Fact-based Quantitative	Experimental Thinking Holistic Intuitive Integrating Synthesizing
​Structural Thinking (Safekeeping Self) Organized Sequential Planned Detailed	Relational Thinking (Feeling Self) Interpersonal Feeling based Kinesthetic Emotional

The day ended with a choice between Janet Jackson and watching the Stanley Cup finals...

I chose hockey and pizza!

Day Four: June 14, 2023

We boarded the shuttles for our last day of SHRM23.

And listened to the final general session, "The New Abnormal: What the Next 25 Years Has in Store for Us," presented by Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. My key takeaways:

• HR is such a significant impact on the successes of many.

• As things evolve, we, as HR professionals, also need to.

• Most importantly, take care of YOURSELF!

Tips, Tricks, and Things You Might Have Missed

The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) is HUGE!

• Taking the Tesla Loop made it easier to get from one end to another.

• Comfortable shoes make the miles easier to walk. I wore my Hey Dudes and Chacos.

• Do not forget to bring snacks and a reusable water bottle.

The SHRM community makes it easier to navigate the conference!

• Join the Unofficial SHRM Annual Conference Networking & Events Facebook group for great information!

• Follow the SHRM Influencers on Twitter for the most up-to-date information.

• Download the SHRM app to find all your conference information and receive push notifications.

SHRM24 is in Chicago, IL!

June 23-26, 2024

Scholarships/grants available at: Scholarships, Grants and Awards Overview (shrm.org)